Yesterday saw me getting up at an unreasonable hour (OK, it was about 7:30am) to eat breakfast with plenty of time for it to digest before dun dun dunnnn… my first proper “race”.
I entered the Market Drayton 10k some time last year. I hadn’t even remembered doing so until I went to register *this* year and it told me I was already in. The plan was to do some proper training runs before race day because one of my fitness goals for this year is to run a (recorded) <1 hour 10k. I’m fairly sure I’ve done it unofficially, but given that my phone GPS failed to pick up a signal for the entire race on Sunday, I can’t rely on its accuracy (or lack thereof)
So anyway… Sunday morning came around pretty fast; had done no training runs, not even a short run in the week or so prior, stomach was wibbly and I thought I was going to poop myself, and I’m mid-period. I was looking forward to the run but fairly certain I wasn’t going to get even close to an hour, let alone under it. I’d set my goal to 1 hour 10—1 hour 15.
I can’t be sure (thanks to my phone/Strava not picking up a GPS signal) but I am fairly sure I started out too quickly. I figured I’d be walking by 7km but kept up the pace anyway, including sprinting up 2 hills along the route. I managed to catch up with a running buddy from Broseley Joggers who I knew was likely to finish at 1hr or less and kept pace with her til right need the end when I was seriously flagging. Finish line in sight, I was practically grunting my way along the last couple of hundred metres when a random lady came up behind me and said “You’ve got this”. I tell you what, I needed that. And she’s right, I totally had it. I used that little burst of motivation to do an epic sprint finish, postively flying across the finish line.
Official time (corrected): 1 hour 1 minute and 32 seconds.
11 May at 3:00 pm
Whoop! Great job! Well done Jem :) Those little words make so much difference.
11 May at 3:45 pm
I know, I was really surprised. That and the little girls lining the route at around 7-8km shouting “keep going! keep going!”; it was a really amazing feeling drawing motivation from the crowd.
11 May at 3:41 pm
Well done! Be warned though, it’s a slippery slope and before you know it you’ll be entering all kinds of longer races :)
11 May at 3:44 pm
I entered another 10k this morning! Eeeeeek
11 May at 3:42 pm
Congratulations! Great achievement. A timed 10k is next on my list.
11 May at 5:17 pm
Congrats! :D
I started running regularly only couple weeks ago and atm my goal is just to be able to run 5km nonstop. Not quite there yet but I’m getting there. Also it makes me feel so good.
11 May at 5:24 pm
Wonderful! Great job surpassing your goal too! (:
11 May at 8:26 pm
That is awesome. Congrats! :D
12 May at 10:59 am
That is so great. :D It was really nice of the person to give that motivation as well. <3
15 May at 11:58 am
So cool. You totally bossed that first 10k and next time you can run a sub 1-hour one for sure!
15 May at 7:41 pm
Well done Jem :) casting my deepest memory somewhere way back in the boondocks to a once healthy person where tumbleweed and cobwebs reside I remember the power that you now have. I’m certain you will succeed whatever you set out to do. I am proud to call you my daughter.